Probably should have done this the other way around (get advice, buy drums) but I've been after some real drums for a while and some came up locally and think I got a reasonable deal.

I'm not a drummer myself, but wanted to have a half-decent set at hand to experiment recording with. As I was dropping my wife off at work at the local conservatorium this morning I met a guy who was dropping in some leaflets to sell his son's drum kit. I dropped around to his place, had a look and bought the following set for $1000 (excellent condition, never been gigged, no rust, everything still looks brand new except for heads):

Basically, I just want to prep the drums with some new heads for recording. Most of the heads are Yamaha UT BA, the snare has a remo head, kick is Remo Ebony Series pinstripe. I'm guessing by the look the heads are still original (kit is 5-6 years old). When I did some work with David Jones a few months back, he swore by Evans heads (was sponsored by them). Any suggestions there? Also, I noticed that the wires on the bottom side of the snare are missing 3 strands, worth worrying about a new set of wires?

Thanks for any advice (Ps drums will be mostly used for light acoustic stuff, maybe some pop, nothing too heavy)

Steve

Yamaha Drums.jpg

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Yamaha makes great drums. Well done.Ian is dead right, Remo Ambassador are default, can't go wrong on any drum.I'm a lapsed Evans endorser and chose to endorse them because I thought they'd developed great sounding new head designs.I use EQ3 for bass drum, RevDot Power Center for snare and G2 coated on toms. G2 clears are great, but a little brighter, punchy. A contemporary rock sound. the coated version is more do-it-all.A lot of people are using the EC2 heads on toms. They are a little more controlled. I prefer to have less control and back it off if need be, but I can't argue that the EC2's don't sound professional, sort of pre-mixed. Probably good to replace the snare wires too.

PS: Get a bunch of heads from Billy Hyde while they are clearing their stock!

One more query, any recommendations on replacement snare wire brands (14")? Seems a bunch of different brands available, none of which I'm familiar with..... What brand would be a safe bet for a decent 14" snare wire?

I've got to say I'm not precious about snare wires. They buzz, and that's all I need to know.I would probably go with something basic like Gibraltar, Ludwig or Pearl. But there are also nice boutique brands like Canopus and Puresound.

Same here as Chris - I've never bothered with boutique snare wires but many drummers wax glowingly about them .....

I'd say give the ones you have a try - tuning of the resonant and snare wire tension should get you very close to the sound you're after. Just make sure any of the missing wires are clipped / trimmed right back - it's really easy to damage the hazy (resonant).

Anyone had experience sanding down the drum shell rings? A drummer I know has an amazing sounding old tama kit (can't remember which model) and he reckons key to keeping them sounding good is every couple years taking off all the heads and sanding the rims so they are even again. He reckons it gives the head/shell maximum contact and therefore better sustain etc. Anyone try this?

Then he said something about putting the skins on and tightening them first before pressing them very hard with a balled fist til they "crack" and then tune them as normal. That went over my head though...

Always good to learn more about drums as I'm still a guitarist when it comes to drums.

To the OP, the B8's are pretty trebley, short decay cymbals. They have way too much sizzle so try to avoid hyped condensers. Good news is they don't crowd room mics too much as they're pretty thin. Cheap cymbals definitely have their place I reckon!

I wouldn't start modifying shells unless I knew what I was doing.Most drums I've owned (including second hand vintage) have been ok.I do know top session guys, especially in America, will have edges recut or modified, but they usually take them to a shell guru.Modern heads don't need seating so badly, but yes, I tend to tension higher than I need and press down on the head before I re-tension down to the pitch I want.

rightintheface wrote:Anyone had experience sanding down the drum shell rings? A drummer I know has an amazing sounding old tama kit (can't remember which model) and he reckons key to keeping them sounding good is every couple years taking off all the heads and sanding the rims so they are even again. He reckons it gives the head/shell maximum contact and therefore better sustain etc.

Bearing Edge profiling is a kind of science in itself...........suffice it to say that the combination of shell material, edge profile and head type all influence the sound of a drum and considering the shell material is "not negotiable", then changing head types should also involve a rethink of the edge profile if you want to get the best out of a drum...........catch is, it's not really practical or within the abilities of 99.8% of most drummers.

Most drum shops will know someone who can fix your bearing edges. Most kits need this done as they are mass produced. I had a pearl kit at one stage I paid 4k for, I took it to a drum maker & the edges were so far out it was crazy.When I get new heads on my kit I always get some candle wax & rub it around the bearing edge and then get a cloth and rub the wax in. It gives a bit of a floating feel between the shell & the head plus it also makes it easier to tune. You are right tighten the heads up first then crack them into place with a closed fist or by holding the rim & pushing down with your thumbs. Just my 2cents